Snorkelling from the hotel beach

In front of many hotels in Mauritius, a lagoon stretches between the beach and the reef, and it is in this sheltered water that marine life can be discovered with nothing more than a mask. The interesting patches of seabed still have to be within reach. Some hotels look onto a marine park, others have laid out an underwater trail in front of their beach, others again lend the equipment and take their guests out every day over the right patches of seabed.

The eight houses that follow were chosen because snorkelling can be done from the hotel, by swimming out or by a short boat trip. They are spread between the north-west coast, around Balaclava and Turtle Bay, the south-east, around Blue Bay, and the north and north-east.

At Poste Lafayette, on the north-east coast, the Radisson Blu has marked out a snorkelling trail in the lagoon, just in front of the hotel. Marine life can be discovered there without taking a boat, setting off from the white-sand beach that the lagoon protects.

The hotel is for adults aged eighteen and over, and also offers an introduction to diving. The glass-bottom boat, for its part, is taken at the sister hotel at Azuri, linked by a free shuttle.

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Constance Le Chaland IKO Mauritius Resort & Villas

On Le Chaland beach, south of Mahébourg, the hotel stands on the edge of the Blue Bay Marine Park, a protected area of the Indian Ocean. The park begins at the edge of the grounds, which puts snorkelling within swimming distance.

The airport is ten minutes away by road. The Mauritian group Constance took over the running of the hotel on 5 February 2026, and it is best to ask for details of the dining before booking.

At Blue Bay, the Shandrani occupies a private peninsula of fifty-three hectares, edged by three fine-sand beaches, in the very heart of the Blue Bay Marine Park and facing the Île aux Aigrettes nature reserve.

Snorkelling is part of the free water sports, along with the glass-bottom boat, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards. To go further, diving courses, from introduction to advanced level, are charged.

At Pointe aux Piments, the Victoria’s lagoon faces the Balaclava marine park, on a coast sheltered from the prevailing winds. Snorkelling trips, during the water sports centre’s hours, are free, as is the glass-bottom boat.

The hotel has set up a diving academy on its beach, affiliated to CMAS and PADI and holding the PADI Green Star label, which trains divers from the age of ten with equipment adapted to children. It goes out to three wrecks, drop-offs and coral reefs: the next step for anyone who has acquired a taste for the mask.

On the shores of Turtle Bay, a protected marine park, at Pointe aux Piments, the Oberoi runs its own snorkelling trips. Non-motorised water sports are complimentary, leaving from the hotel’s private boathouse.

Children also have their own daily snorkelling and glass-bottom boat activities, from the area set aside for them. The hotel has its private cove, and the On the Rocks pool is open to everyone.

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InterContinental Mauritius Resort Balaclava Fort

★★★★★BalaclavaSee the hotelBook on Booking.com →

At Balaclava, the InterContinental has a fully equipped boathouse at the southern end of the grounds, on a jetty thirty metres long. From there leave the water sports included in the stay, among them snorkelling, the glass-bottom boat, kayaks and water skiing.

The hotel’s dive centre goes from first dive all the way to PADI and Open Water certifications, for those who want to go deeper than the surface.

At Anse la Raie, on an unspoilt stretch of the north coast, the Lagoon Attitude is the home of the Attitude group’s marine commitment. The programme includes an underwater snorkelling trail, and Ekol’O, a floating platform for marine education and snorkelling, takes guests out onto the lagoon with marine ecology specialists.

The Marine Discovery Centre runs workshops on the lagoon ecosystem. The hotel is for adults only; scuba diving, for its part, is practised nearby, on request.

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Coin de Mire Attitude

★★★Cap MalheureuxSee the hotelBook on Booking.com →

Facing the islet of Coin de Mire, at Cap Malheureux, the hotel has its own catamaran. The day on the lagoon leaves from the beach, from 10:00 to 16:00, with a snorkelling stop near the island of Coin de Mire; the barbecue on board is extra.

Ekol’O, the group’s floating platform for marine education and snorkelling, can also be reached from the hotel. Bain Bœuf beach lies on the other side of the coast road.

In several of these hotels, snorkelling is among the activities included; it is scuba diving and the longer outings that are charged.